Landing light systems are mounted on aircraft and are primarily used to illuminate the terrain, traffic and runway ahead of the aircraft during takeoff and landing. Conventional landing light systems have one or more landing lights, variously arranged on an aircraft. The landing lights project a beam of light along an axis, and the landing light systems may variously configure the one or more landing lights to illuminate terrain ahead. Two common landing light configurations include an external and a wing-rooted configuration. Many conventional aircraft use wing-rooted landing light systems. In a wing-rooted landing light system, landing lights are extended out of a clean aerodynamic surface of the wing during operation and retracted when they are not in operation.
As may be appreciated, landing light systems are primarily useful during the night; and, in certain scenarios, it is mandatory to use them during night operations. Used at night, landing lights enhance the crew's night vision and contribute to an overall safety net for the aircraft. Due to the brightness of landing lights, landing light systems may also be used for functions like increasing the visibility of an aircraft to other pilots, and to act as a means of collision risk mitigation in a crowded airspace. As aircraft design evolves, there is a desire to provide expanded landing light functionality, for example, to provide guidance information.
Accordingly, landing light systems and methods that provide expanded functionality are desirable. The desirable technologically improved landing light system provides aircraft guidance information though an integration of internal and external systems with improved landing light technologies. The following disclosure provides these technological enhancements, in addition to addressing related issues.